What’s the biggest challenge facing today’s restaurateurs? Costs? Labour? Customer loyalty? Maybe…
Or maybe the biggest challenge of all – the one that arches over evAllergy risk reductionerything – is this:
How can I make sure I’m building a restaurant that’s ready for the future?
Look at how the pace of change is speeding up. When electricity was introduced, it took 30 years to reach 10% of homes – but smartphones had 40% adoption within a decade.
Restaurant customers have changed too, and never so much as in recent years. Casual dining has soared, with diners eager to eat and go within 40 minutes.
Online big spenders
Online ordering for delivery is also a modern-day phenomenon – analysts Deloitte say 40% of customers prefer to order online, and when they do, they are likely to spend up to 15% more.
If you haven’t yet responded to it, you and your restaurant are running a huge risk. Not only of being left behind but of failing entirely as your customer base moves away from you.
As technology experts working at the forefront of restaurant management software, it’s our job to spot and respond to trends from their inception.
So at the Restaurant Show, we’re demonstrating something that’s very new, and very exciting.
Our Aloha by NFS restaurant management technology already goes far beyond the old definition of POS, as thousands of contented customers around the world have already found out.
It enables guests to find and reserve a table at your restaurant online or via an app, then reduces their wait once they arrive with graphic seating plans.
The software then ensures their food is delivered fast by staff using handheld devices to take orders at tableside. The order is either sent instantly to the kitchen or held until its prep time requires it to be sent.
Payment is also taken at tableside – splitting the bill is a cinch – so guests can pay and go.
Afterwards, captured data enables you to create targeted email campaigns that will appeal to your customers’ tastes and drive up loyalty.
And loyalty pays off.
A leading London restaurant group recently told us their Aloha-supported loyalty programme is going down a storm with customers, who spend up to 42% more than non-loyalty guests.
Allergy risk reduction
Allergy concerns become a thing of the past because Aloha by NFS is supported by chef-designed Kitchen CUT technology that enables allergens to be tracked to individual ingredient level as menus and dishes are created.
Aloha works with self-service kiosks and tablets for fast food and casual dining, connecting to kitchen automation and reducing the wait even further.
The result is a seamless and satisfying customer experience that brings them back again and again.
Behind the scenes, your front and back of house workflow improve because human error is removed from the picture and communication becomes effortless.
Labour and stock control
Labour is better managed because Aloha’s comprehensive reporting gives a full view of how many staff are needed at any time, even providing useful forecasts.
Stock control is also improved, because the software identifies best selling dishes and spots trends, enabling you to match procurement to actual requirement and reducing your food waste. It makes economical and environmental sense.
So what’s the exciting news we’ll be sharing at the Restaurant Show?
Nothing less than the next step in customer ordering.
Delivery as a service for restaurant guests has exploded in popularity, thanks to companies such as Deliveroo and Uber Eats.
It’s enabled restaurants who have never before considered home delivery to develop entirely new revenue streams, and is sure to continue to grow – one service is even offering restaurants the opportunity to use its ‘dark kitchens’ to meet demand.
Our new Voice Ordering service harnesses the power of Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant to provide customers with an incredibly effortless link to your restaurant.
The transaction goes like this:
Your customer: “Hey, Alexa – open the app for my favourite restaurant.”
Alexa: “I have opened the app – would you like your usual?”
Your customer says yes or no, making another selection, then agrees the delivery or collection time – and the order is relayed instantly to your kitchen while the payment is taken automatically.
What restaurant POS now really means
This is why we no longer speak about Aloha as ‘point of sale’. Instead, the core foundation of restaurant technology is a world-class platform-of-sale, integrating with different software providers that connect a guest seamlessly to your restaurant.
Because the restaurant of the future knows that one size no longer fits all when it comes to that important connection.
Diners demand an unprecedentedly personalised service that caters specifically for them – and Aloha, with its easy integration, enables your restaurant to build what you need to keep them happy.
We’re looking forward to the Restaurant Show, and we hope to see you there: we’re ready to show you the way you can really build the restaurant in the future.
See us at stand GH11
